


An Ordinary Kid

by Hikage_Phoenix



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Character Study, Fear of Abandonment, Gen, Harley Keener & Peter Parker Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Insecure Harley, Protective Tony Stark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-05
Updated: 2019-08-05
Packaged: 2020-07-31 12:01:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20114773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hikage_Phoenix/pseuds/Hikage_Phoenix
Summary: A character study on Harley Keener focusing on his relationship with Tony Stark.





	An Ordinary Kid

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve recently had a bit of an obsession with Harley Keener, ever since I watched Iron Man 3, and I’ve been trying for a while to figure out why I liked him so much. I realized that I kind of projected some of my own personality traits onto him, and I decided to write this character study to fully figure it out even though I’m not really a writer. There’s not much plot or dialogue, because I focus on Harley’s inner thoughts and feelings. The first part follows Harley through the events of Iron Man 3, and the second part is a few years after that.

Harley Keener was an ordinary kid.

He hailed from the little town of Rose Hill, Tennessee, which was about as backwater as you could ever get. He was small and scrawny, with an interest in tinkering with machines and electronics, and he was pretty good at it, if he did say so himself. Although his smarts were above average, this drew the ire of several bullies at school which led to him becoming small, scrawny, and fast. His cheeky attitude and defense mechanism of shooting back snarky retorts only made things worse.

So while Harley was a little 11-year-old with big dreams, he was also a realist. He knew that life had given him the short end of the stick, especially with a family that consisted of a single mother, a young girl, and a boy smart enough to know that his career aspirations were limited due to the family he had to take care of once he was old enough to be the breadwinner. But Harley didn’t mind, because there was no way he was going to be like his deadbeat father who left them when he was 5. Even if he dreamed of great things like working at Stark Industries, owned by the one and only Tony Stark, who was also his hero Iron Man. Tony Stark was a legend, and Harley’s inspiration due to their shared love of building machines.

Therefore, Harley couldn’t believe his eyes when he walked into his workshop one blustery winter night and saw Tony Stark himself as an intruder in his garage. Well, also because the man had just been pronounced dead in the evening paper. So Harley did what any kid would do when unexpectedly faced with his long-time hero. He gushed over the Iron Man suit, broke a finger, and also triggered Tony’s anxiety and panic attacks.

Oops.

Harley was a sensitive boy though, and while he couldn’t keep his mouth shut sometimes, he immediately sensed Tony’s pain and did his best to talk him through it. He realized that not even heroes were infallible, and this man was very much human, despite the way his billionaire superhero legend status made him seem. He had also somehow known about Harley’s status as a bullied kid, despite not having any physical wounds to show for it. Harley wondered if Tony had taken a wild guess because he had also once been bullied for being a small but genius kid who could talk the ears off his enemies. The idea that he and his hero could have this sort of connection sent a shiver down Harley’s spine.

Walking down the snowy roads together, Harley tried to keep his cool while talking to Tony, but on the inside his mind was going a mile a minute. This was a one in a million chance meeting, that Tony had ended up in his garage after crash landing. Harley clung on to the sliver of hope that crept into his brain that some kind of fate had brought them together. Maybe there was hope for him after all, for something greater in his life. When the bad guys who hurt Tony showed up and suddenly started attacking, Harley’s heart was pounding but he mustered up his courage and struck Eric Savin with a snowball, effectively causing him to miss his gunshot at Tony.

Not every kid could say they saved the life of their hero.

But Harley realized he was in over his head and got too cocky, when Savin’s glowing eyes locked with his and the angry man started towards him. Harley’s speed gave him a head start but in his panic he slipped in the snow, allowing the man to grab and haul him up over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Harley kicked and struggled, but Savin was a grown man, and when his hands began to burn, pain seared through Harley’s back and his struggles weakened.

He couldn’t believe it. Just as he was getting over the exhilaration of helping fight against a villain, he was immediately taken hostage by said villain and used against Tony. All he could do was apologize in shame.

“Mr. Stark, I am so sorry.”

But Tony’s eyes were firm and determined. While they flashed with fear for Harley’s safety, they were also filled with trust and never broke contact with Harley’s, reassuring him. Remembering the gadget Tony gave him to ward off bullies, Harley pushed the button and a blinding light forced Savin to release him. He scrambled to safety and watched as Tony blasted the man.

This was more excitement than Harley had ever had in his whole life, but the unease immediately flared up in him again once Tony made to leave town. In a desperate attempt to get Tony to stay, even though he knew it was selfish, he tried to work up the little kid charm, but Tony saw right through him. Mixed emotions swirled through him as he watched the second man he thought could be a father to him drive off into the night.

The Mark 42 suit was still in his garage though, and Harley thanked his years of nerdy tinkering that allowed him to help Tony fix the suit. He was glad when the suit flew out to find its owner, because that meant Iron Man was back in business, but he was also left with a wistful feeling that Tony was really gone from his life and he’d never see him again. Months later, the encounter might start to feel like a dream. Years later, he’d probably believe it really was a dream.

After all, there’s no way someone like Tony Stark would want to keep in contact with a little kid from Tennessee who triggered panic attacks. The only reminder of Tony he had left was the little gadget that he now wore on a necklace, so he could keep it with him at all times. Sometimes Harley would lie in bed at night, turning it around in his hands so he could feel the cold metal, cold like his heart but tangible, so he wouldn’t forget.

_We’re connected._

He repeated these words in his head like a prayer. Sometimes a tear would slip from his eye.

\------------------------------------------------------------------

Two months later, Harley’s life had returned to the way it was before Tony, though the bullies finally learned to stay away from Harley’s bully repellent. The town was rebuilt, though no one could figure out who had donated such a large sum of money to help with the repairs (though Harley had a clue). Harley didn’t tell anyone about his encounter with Tony, not even his mother or sister, because he didn’t think anyone would believe him, but also because it hurt to remember. He didn’t need anyone telling him it was a lie or a dream, because then he could go on believing in it himself.

Therefore, Harley thought he actually was dreaming when he walked into his workshop after school one day to find it completely revamped. The workshop was filled with new gadgets and tools of highly advanced technology, as well as a new potato gun to replace the one Tony borrowed parts from.

Harley’s heart caught in his chest when he saw the sign indicating that the gifts were, indeed, from Tony. Tony hadn’t forgotten him. Tony thought of him as a friend, and on equal footing with him, if the advanced toys were any indication. He even replaced the watch that Harley swiped from his sister for him.

Tony hadn’t forgotten him.

Tears started slipping down his cheeks, because he was so happy, but why? He was just an ordinary kid that happened to be in the right place at the right time. Apparently Tony saw something in him, enough to spend all this money on him.

His eyes fell on an envelope with his name on it, and he pulled a letter out of it.

_Hey Harley,_

__

_Thought I forgot about you, did you? Sorry I had to spend some time dealing with the aftermath of the whole Extremis incident, rebuilding my house, and I wanted to make sure the thanks I prepared for you was perfect. After all, you found me during a rough time, and having you around really helped a lot. You might be a smartass cheeky kid who was intent on pushing every button to a panic attack, but you also knew how to calm me down. None of my fellow teammates knew about my anxiety, or how New York really affected me, nor have they ever asked, but you were able to draw it out of me and asked about my condition. You pulled my demons out into the open and allowed me to face them head on. And I’m grateful for that, Harley._

__

_Now, I’ve left my private phone number as a contact on the new phone I’ve given you. Be grateful, because only my close friends will ever have this number. Contact me if there’s ever anything you need, an emergency, or even if you just want to talk. I felt bad about what I said about your father leaving. You didn’t deserve it, and I’ve decided that I want to be there for you the way he wasn’t, because my father was never there for me either. I see a lot of myself in you, and I know with the right push you can do great things, kid._

__

_You better call me the moment you see this, because if I don’t hear from you within two hours of school out, I’m gonna think you’re dead or kidnapped and I will be there, I kid you not. And no, I’m not overprotective, I’m just...making sure all my efforts haven’t gone to waste._

__

_See you soon, kid._  
_Your friend the mechanic,_  
_Tony_

__

Harley let out a shaky laugh at Tony’s attempt to cover up his concern in the last paragraph and he sank down to the floor, still holding the letter. It was a lot to take in. He had just resigned himself back into a normal life, and here Tony was, bursting into it again like he had the first time. He allowed himself to start sobbing, because someone cared. There was a man who was willing to be in his life the way his father wasn’t, and…

__

See you soon?

__

Wait…

__

Did Tony mean to come see him again? Or…was Tony inviting him to New York?? Harley’s mind couldn’t process everything that was happening right now. He vaguely heard his mom enter the workshop and let out a gasp. Right, he now had to explain everything to his mom. And maybe also give Tony that phone call before he got the police involved.

__

\------------------------------------------------------------------

__

Harley was now 15. Several years had passed since his initial meeting with Tony, and Harley sometimes still couldn’t believe what his life had become. Tony called him twice a week, after joking that he had expected Harley to spam him with calls every other hour. Harley might have, as a prank, but he was secretly afraid of accidentally calling Tony when he was in the middle of something important, and so he and Tony set a regular Skype session schedule so they could talk about projects, life, and make sure the other wasn’t dead. Harley loved their Skype sessions. The two of them could talk science, and Tony always gave input on Harley’s projects and didn’t talk down to him or treat him like a child. Being treated as Tony’s equal was surreal, because Harley was sure that there were a lot of adults in the world that Tony would never give the time of day to, and he couldn’t help but feel a little bit special. Like there were a million things that the billionaire genius playboy philanthropist Tony Stark could be doing, but he always set aside time to talk to this teenager.

__

And the visits. Tony started flying him out to New York during school breaks, with the permission of his mother, and they were everything Harley had ever dreamed of. The first time he set foot in Avengers Tower and was face to face with Tony again, he had prepared some sort of witty remark to say but all he could do was fling himself at the man and sob into his arms. Tony had seemed startled but reciprocated the hug just as tightly.

__

The two of them spent time in the workshop together, and Tony showed Harley Iron Man upgrades and even let him tinker on one of the suits. Harley even got to meet the other Avengers and Pepper, though he couldn’t help but feel small next to their enormous presences, and not just because he was physically smaller either. Whenever one of them joked that Harley was like Tony’s son, he felt himself flush red but despite Tony’s spluttering rebuttals, his hand on Harley’s shoulder would tighten a little bit more. And Harley would secretly smile to himself and get a warm feeling in his chest.

__

So of course everything changed when Peter Parker entered the scene.

__

Tony met the boy when he was scouting for the whole Civil War incident, and employed him as an intern at Stark Industries afterwards as a cover-up for, as Harley figured out later, the kid’s activities as Spider-Man. He wasn’t supposed to know, because Peter kept his identity under lock and key as best as he could, and had gone into a panic when Tony found out. But Harley couldn’t help but feel a twang of jealousy when he learned that Tony had a new young protégé, and sought to find out as much as he could about him, even if it meant snooping through important files.

__

Once Harley knew Peter was Spider-Man, it all made sense.

__

It wasn’t Peter’s fault though, because Peter was perfect. Harley liked him, because he was smart and also science oriented, as well as an adorkable and kind person. The two of them hit it off immediately, and became friends after getting over the hurdle of Peter’s superhero moonlighting and Harley figuring out his identity.

__

But having Peter around made all of Harley’s old insecurities flare up all over again. He had grown comfortable in his role as Tony’s friend, but he was normal. He wasn’t a family member, or a superhero, or an employee, or anything of the sort. He was just a kid.

__

And Peter was everything he wasn’t.

__

Peter was the prodigy that Tony deserved. He and Harley were similar, both being nerdy and able to keep up with Tony in science related talk, but Peter had superpowers. He could hold his own with the other Avengers, despite how misleading his small frame may seem, and was able to fight with Tony during the Civil War incident. He also lived in Queens, which meant he was a lot closer to Tony than Harley was, and able to see him more often. The two of them could bond over superhero stuff, while Harley couldn’t. He had once entertained the idea of making his own Iron Man suit to Tony, but the man had shot him down gently.

__

“Maybe someday when you’re a bit older, kid.”

__

Harley knew that someday really did mean someday, but he didn’t miss the expression in Tony’s eyes. He understood that Tony was only worried about his safety and didn’t want to throw him into fights when he was only a teenager with limited combat experience. He just wished that he could be more useful to Tony.

__

But Peter was everything Harley couldn’t be. So that meant Tony didn’t need Harley. He knew, deep down, that these feelings were silly, that Tony wouldn’t abandon him just because he had Peter now too. But then he would watch them from across the lab while they were fixing Peter’s webshooters, and the terrible tight sensation in his chest would return. Harley had been the mistake, the happy accident, and Peter was the one Tony had actively sought out. He didn’t need him.

__

So he did what any sensible person would do.

__

He ran.

__

It was during one of his visits to New York in the summer, and the late evening sun beat down on his body, making his chest heave with sweat. He had run out of the tower like a maniac, leaving behind some questioning shouts from Tony and several of the other Avengers. He kept going until he ran out of breath, and he realized that he no longer knew where he was. But he didn’t want to go back yet anyway, and started to walk at a slower pace, collecting his thoughts in his mind.

__

Harley knew he was being silly. But he had always been an insecure person, ever since his dad disappeared and left Harley wondering whether it was something he did wrong. He did his best to be a good son to his mother and a good brother to his sister but sometimes it wasn’t enough. The fear that he could never be good enough lurked in the back of his mind like a shadow.

__

Finally, Harley noticed it was getting dark and he had been out for a long while. It was time to stop sulking like a child. He pulled out his phone, noticing the many missed calls and messages, and called Tony.

__

“Harley! Are you alright?” Tony’s voice sounded out over the phone.

__

“Yeah I’m fine, Tony. I’m sorry that I ran out on you today. I just had a bit of a mental breakdown, but I’m going to come back now.”

__

“It’s ok. I understand, kid. I’ll come out to get you.”

__

Harley knew he didn’t have to tell Tony where he was. The man still hadn’t gotten over his overprotective tendencies.

__

“I’ll be wai—“

__

The calm that Harley had felt at hearing Tony’s voice was suddenly ripped away from him just as fast as his phone by someone who had crept up behind him. He gasped, but any other sound he might have made was stifled by a second person who grabbed him around his middle and tugged him into a nearby alley, which was dark except for the flash of silver from the knife that the man produced.

__

Wow, how cliché, to be mugged after running out because of a tantrum. Harley didn’t have anything besides his phone on him though.

__

“What the—hey, this kid was talking to Tony Stark!”

__

Oh shoot. The man who grabbed his phone had looked at the caller ID. But Harley knew he didn’t have anything to worry about because Tony’s ETA was probably about one minute now. He still felt as useless as a common damsel though as he struggled against the man holding him and he closed his eyes as he could still hear Tony saying something from the phone speaker. It was like Eric Savin all over again. Those memories from when he was 11 rushed back to him.

__

Then both his phone and the knife were tugged away by strings of web, and Harley looked up to see Peter crouched on the building above. The sound of the Iron Man suit landing pulled his attention to the entrance of the alley, and he felt the arms of the man holding him subconsciously tighten painfully around him.

__

But the two of them together made short work of the muggers, and soon Harley found himself being carried back to the tower by Tony, with Peter swinging along behind them. Once they were safely back inside and Harley got over his initial fear, all he was left with was embarrassment. He had been upset because he thought he was useless, and here he had gone out and just proved his own point.

__

“I’m sorry, Tony,” he mumbled as Tony ran his hands over Harley checking for injuries.

__

“Gonna give me a heart attack one day, you kids are,” Tony joked, satisfied that Harley was fully intact. “Now then,” he said, suddenly serious, “is there something you want to talk to me about?”

__

Harley cast his eyes downward, unsure of where to start. He knew it was best to be open with Tony, because he didn’t want to keep these feelings inside anymore.

__

“Should I, uh, leave?” Peter made for the door, to give them privacy.

__

Harley shook his head. “No, this kind of involves you too Peter. I want you to hear it too.”

__

And so he let it all out. All of the deep and insecure feelings that had festered in him for so long, begging for relief and acceptance. His voice began to shake as he spoke, and soon he wasn’t able to look Tony in the eye because he couldn’t stand to look at Tony’s concerned face, and also the darn tears that betrayed him.

__

When he was finished, Tony tipped Harley’s face up so he could make eye contact, then pulled the boy into a tight hug.

__

“Oh Harley,” he breathed into Harley’s hair. “I’m not going to get rid of you kid. I love Peter, but I love you too. I don’t care about usefulness or anything like that. I want you around because you’re you. You’re the snarky adorable little potato gun kid that saved my life and talked me into and out of panic attacks. You’re a darn good mechanic, and you can run the Avengers around in circles with your witty quips and antics. To anyone else you might be a normal kid, but you’re my extraordinary kid.”

__

Harley sobbed into Tony’s shoulder at the reassuring words. “I just wish I could be useful to you too Tony.”

__

“If you want, I’ll start training you to use a suit when you’re 16. I know I’ve been playing the overprotective parent here, because I just didn’t want you to get hurt or into danger, but I also know you’re strong and you’ll be able to handle it. How’s that kiddo?” Tony beamed when Harley nodded, smiling shakily.

__

Peter was also crying. He wrapped his arms around Harley too and Harley held on to his warmth.

__

“Thank you guys,” Harley smiled and wiped the tears from his eyes.

__

Harley Keener was an ordinary kid, from Rose Hill, Tennessee. But he was Tony’s extraordinary kid, and that was good enough for him.

__

**Author's Note:**

> This was purely written as a self-indulgent fic, but if you got this far I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading!


End file.
